Does size matter when it comes to safety? MINI Hardtop 2 Door bags IIHS safety award for criteria that include ‘nearly avoiding’ a collision, BMW Group says.

Photo: BMW Group media website.

When it comes to factors that affect crashworthiness as well as lighting and driver assist technologies, size might not matter so much. The 2019 MINI Hardtop 2-Door, which weighs in at 2,690 pounds with automatic transmission and sports a wheelbase of 98.2 inches, just brought home a 2018 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Kelley Blue Book Picks Mazda for Performance, Styling Awards

Photo: Mazda media website.

Mazda announced Monday that they have added two new awards to their trophy shelf this week, this time winning accolades in the performance and design categories.

Kelley Blue Book selected Mazda for two 2018 Brand Image Awards: “Best Performance Brand” and “Best Car Styling Brand.” This is Mazda’s second year in a row as the winner of “Best Car Styling Brand” award, while the marque is a first-time winner in the “Best Performance Brand category.

Texas Auto Writers Association Honors Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio with Top Performance Awards

Alfa Romeo Giulia. Photo: Fiat Chrysler media website.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced last Thursday that the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) honored two models from Alfa Romeo's Quadrifoglio lineup with top awards in two performance categories.

TAWA crowned the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio as "Performance SUV of Texas" and the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as "Performance Sedan of Texas" in their annual Texas Auto Roundup, held at Eagles Canyon Raceway.

“The Alfa Romeo brand made a strong showing with the all-new 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio and the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia during our two days of evaluation,” said Mike Marrs, President of TAWA. “Both vehicles feature impressive style and craftsmanship and the Quadrifoglio editions were a blast to drive, offering excellent performance and handling on the track.”

Mazda MX-5 Miata, CX-5 Bring Home the Award Bling in New York Daily News Competition

Photo: Mazda media website.

Mazda Motor Corporation announced this week that two of their models recently earned more industry accolades, winning top segment honors in the 2018 Daily News Autos (DNA) Awards, a competition organized by automotive editors of the New York Daily News.

Daily News editors select winners from nominations in a full range of automotive segments and  classes, selecting models that best represent the “DNA” of a specific segment. The cars, SUVs, trucks and minivans that win DNA Awards not only contain the core requirements and characteristics necessary to credibly serve their expected functions, but they also reflect superior design, engineering, innovation, value and dynamism.

Looking for a Hot Car that will Hold its Value? Edmunds Gives Dodge Charger the Nod

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles earned kudos recently for building a product that holds its value, when Edmunds designated the winner of the Edmunds Best Retained Value Award in the large car category: the 2018 Dodge Charger. Edmunds selects winners of the Best Retained Value award in each vehicle segment based on the five-year projected residual value.

“Buying a new car is a huge financial decision, and our 2018 Edmunds Best Retained Value Awards are designed to help shoppers discover the vehicles that can help them get the most out of their investment,” said Avi Steinlauf, Edmunds’ CEO. “This year’s winners underscore a commitment to quality and reliability, and are good bets to hold their value over the course of ownership.”

Kia Cadenza Wins Best Large Family Car Honors from U.S. News & World Report

If you're looking a new ride that delivers classy styling, very competitive value, and respectable performance, Kia is one brand that, today, should not be overlooked.

Along with Mazda, Kia is one of the few manufacturers putting out tasteful designs that manage to stand out nicely from a sea of boring CUVs and unimaginative lookalike sedans that suffer from chronic Fusion-Sonata-itis. Kia's styling has come a long way, especially in the past two years or so.